cybernationsfandomcom-20200215-history
Thierra
This is an article about Thierra the nation, for Thierra the ruler, see here. |connectedresources = }} Thierra is a growing, developing, and established nation at 122 days old with citizens primarily of Korean ethnicity whose religion is Baha'i Faith. Its technology is advancing rapidly. Its citizens enjoy a wealth of technology within their nation. Its citizens pay extremely high taxes and many despise their government as a result. The citizens of Thierra work diligently to produce Furs and Oil as tradable resources for their nation. It is a mostly neutral country when it comes to foreign affairs. It will usually only attack another nation if attacked first. When it comes to nuclear weapons Thierra will not research or develop nuclear weapons. Plans are on the way within Thierra to open new rehabilitation centers across the nation and educate its citizens of the dangers of drug use. Thierra allows its citizens to openly protest their government, even if it means violence. It has an open border policy, but in order for immigrants to remain in the country they will have to become citizens first. Thierra believes in the freedom of speech and feels that it is every citizen's right to speak freely about their government. The government gives whatever is necessary to help others out in times of crisis, even if it means hurting its own economy. Thierra will not make deals with another country that has a poor history of inhuman treatment of its citizens. History The nation, from the beginning to the present, has been formed by war. Her independence, characteristics and personality are all the product of a complex set of circumstances and events, which have produced the unique structure and appearance of Thierra. Origins and the Great War The war began about sixty years before the Unification. Historians have debated on the exact cause of the conflict between the two largest local powers of the time – Kinst and the Highlands. Prior to this conflict, Thierra had not been a nation – she had been a loose collection of kingdoms that had been allowed land by these superpowers on either side of her. Renowned historian of ancient Thierra, Herbert Shiell, says that the nation, “was always considered and treated like a nation. One kingdom was always dominant at any given time, and foreign powers always dealt with whoever that may have been.” Each of the two former superpowers had their own official response to the war that they waged for sixty years. Kinst claims that the Highlands violated the international law of the time by excessively building ports in order to unbalance the Kinstan world economy. The Highlands claim that the Kinst violated international law and the rules of war by seizing, pillaging, and burning 70% of their ports on the channel between them. Regardless of what happened first or what in fact occurred, the nations devolved into open warfare. The Thierran kingdoms whose nation was situated between Kinst and the Highlands were, therefore, pulled into an unwanted war. Kingdom by kingdom, the whole of the Thierran region fell to either of the two superpowers. For fear that these small villages of people would help the other side, it became a race to did “trenches” and seize as many natives as possible. The Thierrans in many places were forced to work in war factories while others were drafted into the armies of foreign countries. It took less than three years to seize all of the small kingdoms because, at the time, they refused to fight together. Instead, they attempted to practice the selfish individualism that had ruled their culture for hundreds of years. In short, they became the prisoners of the Great War’s major players because of nationalistic pride. The Unification Nearly sixty years later, the Thierran people are still subject to the wills of their ruling nations. For decades, various men and women attempted to rally the people behind one banner, failing and falling into the hands of Kinst, the Highlands, or even other over-ambitious compatriots. Nevertheless, for most of these sixty years, or the Black Period, the nation was leaderless. One day, however, a new voice was thrown into that din of pleas for freedom and independence – a strong voice. This fresh perspective that advocated for immediate action for immediate results captivated the people in a way that no other leader had. This man’s name, Armand duChaud, would eventually go down in history, though he is known more commonly as simply, the Great Unifier. His first major attack on Kinst and the Highlands would be to immediately bring all of the kingdoms under one nation. By personally visiting the provisional governments in every Thierran capital city, duChaud mobilized fifty militaries and united them under a single government that promised freedom, prosperity and peace. The date of the signing of the Iron Pact, a document that officially joined the kingdoms together, forming the nation of Thierra, is, to this day, celebrated as U-Day or Unification Day. Famed political theorist and historian, Robert Lemont, had this to say about the new government: “No one in the international community really gave it much thought. We would like to think that people talked about it in salons around the world, but in actuality, people had stopped caring, leaving Thierra and the war to the forgotten annals of history. But this event – U-Day – was perhaps the single most influential event in the area of that era. The century that followed would be marked with multiple revolutions among the larger powers that would break down into smaller, independent powers. With our twenty-twenty hindsight, we can now see that the Thierran movement towards independence did more to shape the region than any other occurrence.” Winning the War Even after getting the fifties kingdoms to join together, duChaud knew that it would still take a decisive victory over one nation to have his new government recognized by the international community and at least two to score any aid for their cause. Unfortunately, the military that he had created with the Iron Pact was still ill prepared. They had not trained together and consolidating the officials into a unified officer corps would take a long while. DuChaud decided to enact a national Hiatus from public life. The goal was to live life as normally as possible and conceal the fact that they had established a government. The population was called on to put on a grand show to deceive their overlords who were still about in the area. While the citizens kept the Kinstans and the Highlanders busy, duChaud was organizing a new government into a temporary structure that would stand until the end of the war. Bringing in foreign military officials and theorists, he set about training his troops after taking the entire project overseas to a sympathetic country. With their help, he was able to prepare enough soldiers to begin small-scale campaigns, which coincided perfectly with when the Highlanders officially recognized that a new government had formed. For three years, duChaud aggressively led his people as he jumped from location to location, never staying in the same place too long. From wherever he lodged, he commanded his generals and began governing again. The Thierran government was careful not to campaign anywhere were the official armies of their enemies would be working. They fought skirmishes, mostly, accumulating a cargo of munitions here or bringing down a scouting party there. It was very small-scale for the first few years after “campaigning” actually began, and it wasn’t until the eighth year after the Unification that Thierran troops began to see Kinstan or Highlander armies in actual combat. Highlights from the Great War, which had become the War for Independence, included the Great Siege at Rhys and the naval battle at Gyves. Both battles are best known because of the surge of nationalistic pride that gave way to second and third victories. As historian Lemont says, the victory, however, is credited to “the foreign aid received from neighboring powers. Their ‘generosity’ in this instance largely stems from competition with the two enemy superpowers. It was a war of convenience, mostly.” The extra aid in soldiers and money helped push the war effort forward until, eventually, the Highland offered a cease-fire at 11 AU (after Unification). Kinst offered their own cease-fire the following year (12 AU), finally ending the Great War. Neither nation was invited to the international peace talks, and both were forced to pay huge reparations and punitive damages to the new Thierran government. Military historian, Charles deGolhe, says that “the nation of Thierra owes her independence largely to the foreign powers who began aid in 9 AU – the same, in fact, that would attack unexpectedly a century later in the First War.” The People's Reformation Following the victory over the Kinstans and the Highlanders, the people of Thierra wanted an active role in the nation they had created. The provisional government that duChaud had established in 1AU was originally intended to coordinate the military effort during the Great War. Without any enemies, however, Thierrans believed that it was time to return the government to the hands of the governed. In 14AU Armand duChaud, the Great Unifier, stepped down from his position as head of state, and allowed the formation of the Second Council. There, representatives from all of the major regions in Thierra congregated to discuss a new constitution that would celebrate people’s rights and promote the welfare of the workers. Forming the first fully communist government in the region, the Thierrans enjoyed protection from the government and guaranteed equality. Originally, opposition sparked up against this move. Economist Matthew Layman refers it as “the day we all went poor.” He continues, “Going communist was one of the worst decisions for our young country. While the workers were all happy, we weren’t making the money that we needed to pay back war debts and build a new nation. In short, the one time we needed capitalism more than anything, we went the other way.” Indeed, the first years of the Reformation showed great economic problems. Deficit spending tripled in one year and the government was precariously instable. It was only through the generosity of foreign investors and sizable grants/loans that the country was saved. Thankfully, within ten years, the people had solved the problem on the local level for themselves, settling any conflicts or problems with the system. It is notable that the country’s police force did expand during this time. Peace - The Lull Thierra took a long while to accept trade offers from foreign nations. The idea was that foreign markets would flood Thierra’s, which was so delicate and fragile, with foreign goods that would put millions of workers out of jobs. As the system was communist, meaning the workers were the bulk of the foundation for the government, Thierra remained isolationist for many years. Even as trade began to open up, communication with the government was limited. Immigration, however, was record high. In the course of a single year, the population jumped 67% while emigration was at a record low. The people were, apparently, happy with the system of civil rights and economic equality that they had created. The Confucian religion also fit well into the new nuclear and extended family structures that became a staple of Thierran society. South Thierra became a hotspot for cultural advances. The elite of Thierra, which weren’t that much richer than the non-elite, resided there giving their patronage to local artists, writers, and performers, spawning the Golden Age of Creativity. In the north, industrialization was embraced, especially along the coasts, which allowed for rapid transport to foreign countries once trade was open. Thierra even traded with former enemies like the Highlands, which, since the peace treaty, had gone into economic recession. They, therefore, purchased many of Thierra’s valuable products, hoping to stimulate their own dying economies. The Second War and Defeat The nation’s strong belief in a religion that was not accepted throughout the region and her economic growth, however, would prove to be the government’s own undoing. The nation of Thierra was built upon principles that allowed for equality, which was not a welcome concept at the time. Other nations, therefore, saw great competition with the small and young nation. As emigration from their homelands to the worker’s paradise increased over the years, other surrounding nations grew jealous. In 74AU, Thierra was attacked on three fronts by three foreign powers – Southlanding, Alleigne, and Feist. These same four powers had, sixty years earlier been allies and financiers. Thierra had not even begun to even pay off war debts, which some historians cite as another cause for the Second War. Military historians also add that this attacks methodology suggests that it had been planned for years, suggesting the inferiority of the young Intelligence Agency that had not yet even finished building its headquarters. Thierrans, however, were not prepared for this attacked. After a century of war, they had no interest in war and had dismissed more than half of the military. The bulk of the forces were sent to the capital and all citizens were called back to the northernmost peninsula on which Mer sits. There, the government began drafting and training as many able-bodied Thierrans as was possible while the three enemy nations marched casually through their homeland, pillaging and burning all they could find. Thierra, finally, mounted what was seen as a last surge of combat just nears the Cliffs of Strand, fifty miles from the capital. The battle, however, was not only fought among Thierrans and her enemies. At the last moment, the former enemies, the Highlanders, appeared on the battlefield. The dependence on Thierran prices and products promoted a general interest in the latter’s survival. While the Highlands was plagued with a failing economy, the strength of her military had not diminished in the slightest. Together, they managed a decisive, if not costly, victory over the Southlandish Forces, crippling their attempts and knocking them out of the war. Now in a two-versus-two war, Thierrans became more aggressive, recalling the mentality of the Great War. Together, they marched directly towards the camps of the Alleignan Army, which was caught completely unprepared. Half the camp immediately surrendered here while the Highlander Army surrounded the opposing side, outflanking the world famous Alleignan cavalry. This, however, only inspired further pride. Now that it was two-versus-one, the Thierrans felt that the war was easily won. The Highlanders went looking for a fight with the last and strongest enemy, the Feistians. As they marched, however towards the south toward the Thierra-Feist border, the Feistan navy besieged the unprotected city. It was taken in three days. This critical blow threw the nation into anarchy. The Feistans succeeded in slaughtering 40% of the nation’s population, burning the once beautiful and celebrated capital city to the ground. Thierra had not choice but to surrender three days later; the Highlands’ army retreated shortly after that to defend their own borders. Rebuilding Thierra was, for the first time in years, humiliated. The country’s worker population had been killed, and 70% of the women and children had been raped and slaughtered in Mer’s public squares. The news, upon reaching the Thierran army in the south, drove many men to insanity and suicide. The eradication of the national communist government threw the remaining civilians into anarchy. It was not long before generals began trying to seize power before being killed by another warlord. It was not until the seventh month following the destruction of Mer that the nation was put together again. It took seven revolutionary governments, all of which increasing in intensity and strength to find a working solution. The Feistan democracy, however, also fell into revolution because of the warmongering nature of their government, and all public officials were publicly executed for crimes against humanity. Reparations were not considered and their new dictator declared peace immediately a few months later. Thierra, however, was destroyed. The three enemies of the Second War had destroyed everything to the south of the Line of the Rose (the barricade created on the peninsula to keep enemy nations in the south) before the destruction of Mer, and Feist has destroyed everything to the north. The entire infrastructure system of roads and utilities was largely intact because the three nations had planned to occupy the area originally, but homes, schools, and all government buildings were in ruins. In addition, the new revolutionary government had nowhere to establish control because the capital had been razed. Taxes tripled throughout the nation and all other professionals were changed. Schoolteachers, soldiers, and even the homeless were brought to the former city of Mer and given a shovel. From under the tons of stone from great monuments that used to stand like the Great Library, the International Court, and the Thierran Market, diggers found bodies of countless civilians that had been murdered when Feistans had seized the city. The Thierran fleet’s wreckage was also located, though most of it still sits on the bottom of the Mer Harbor to this day. The rebuilding of Mer, however, took three decades. Two generations of people were lost to the reconstruction efforts, and all other industries were placed on indefinite hold. Arthur Millet, a national historian, described the effects of this as “debilitating.” ”The people of Thierra had no way of making money, which was okay – where would they spend it? No one lived in a house for a long time. As far as the eye could see, tents covered former fields that had been burned as well, and it wasn’t until 115AU that some normalcy had returned.” Peace again - Neutrality The two Great Wars of the first century following the Unification were enough to pacify even the most aggressive. The nation cried out for an end to war so that they could return to peace and tending their fragile economy. Trade, which did not recommence until 133AU (nearly 60 years following the first attack), was still slow, and Thierrans did not wish to distract themselves with military affairs. Here, however, entered a man whose name has not been determined. He has since been referred to as the “Agent.” What he was, however, was an emissary from the Green Protection Agency. This group of individuals preached the virtue of neutrality and peace. It did not, therefore, take long to convince the people to support the revolutionary government’s decision to join the GPA, which was confirmed by 88% of Thierrans through a national plebiscite. The admission into this new alliance of peace, however, was delayed. Fearing possible retaliation or violations of international law, the GPA placed the nation’s admission on hold. Local historians at the time suggested that it might be to verify that the nation was not seeking refugee status. As this was not true, however, the GPA quickly allowed them to sign into the alliance and to sign the required Declaration of Neutrality. Present At the moment, Thierra is enjoying the peace and neutrality as promised by the GPA. The nation also enjoys the privilege of being an emissary to the Foreign Division. Communication with this vital alliance is currently being well facilitated by both parties and there are hopes that the latter will sign the Declaration of Neutrality. Thierra finally succeeded in 151AU to surpass the levels of production and success that had existed prior to the Second War. Her harbor has recently been rebuilt and there is talk of a campaign to double the national infrastructure.